Powdercoat vs Enamel

[Cope]

Am having my 531 frame resprayed. Have heard good things about Armourtex, and they're cheap (£65), but am worried that powdercoat might not be very resilient against the weather.

Alternative is Argos in Bristol - but at twice the price, is it twice as good?

 

[Dave5N]

I've had loads of frames powdercoated. £20 a go. Lasts pretty well. Better than paint, anyway.

Doesn't scratch, but does chip away from threaded bits.

 

[fossyant]

Powdercoat is tough....enamel isn't quite as good, but you get far better results if you go with fancy paint jobs...Enamel is lots glossier !

Plain colour - then powdercoat.... tough.

If you want a glossy finish, super smooth and blended colour...then enamel.....

To respray one of my bikes would set me back £200 to get the same effect, and it isn't that fancy.......

 

[Cope]

Powdercoat is tough....enamel isn't quite as good, but you get far better results if you go with fancy paint jobs...Enamel is lots glossier !

Plain colour - then powdercoat.... tough.

If you want a glossy finish, super smooth and blended colour...then enamel.....

Thanks - I only want a single colour, and want it to protect the frame from wear and tear, so sounds like powercoat is the way to go.

Intriqued to hear of £20... I thought £65 seemed like a bargain!

S.

 

[PatrickPending]

mine cost £35 last march 13000km later including half a winters commute and its still going strong. Guess you just need to ask around to find the cheaper places.....

 

[andrew_s]

Powdercoat won't ever give such a nice finish as enamel, and sometimes you can get surface defects (sort of like burst bubbles).
It's also quite a bit tougher than enamel. This can be a problem in that stronger measures are required to get it off next time a respray comes round, giving the chance of frame damage.

 

[P.H]

The paint finish on my Hewitt seems to be tougher than the powder coat on my Thorn, though I'm not disappointed with either.
Hewitts are painted by Autostrada in the midlands, who also paint for a few others. I don't think they'll deal directly with the public, but they will with any bike shop. The finish feels different to other paint, I understand they use a different lacquer, when it gets the sort of knock that I'd expect to chip or scrape paint it just scuffs.

 

[Tail End Charlie]

Powdercoat gives a good finish, maybe not eye-closingly glossy, but tough. Look up powdercoaters in yellow pages or even better, ask at a good local bike shop, not one in a chain. Should be able to get it done for way less than 65 pounds. I recently had one done for 35.

 

[Cope]

Powdercoat gives a good finish, maybe not eye-closingly glossy, but tough. Look up powdercoaters in yellow pages or even better, ask at a good local bike shop, not one in a chain. Should be able to get it done for way less than 65 pounds. I recently had one done for 35.

Well, I phoned two local powder coaters.

The first said £80, but would match £65 if I picked a colour he had in stock. He said it'd cost him £35 just in gas in the oven. Reckoned anyone doing it for £35 must have chucked the bike in with something else, and done it on the side.

The second said £130 - he said he subcontracts the shot blasting, and a bike frame is £60.00. He says the bike goes in the oven twice - once for a low temperature primer, and then again for the top coat.

If these guys are representative for the south (both Portsmouth based) I'm struggling to see how anyone's getting it done for £35.00. What am I missing?

 

[cheadle hulme]

Well, I phoned two local powder coaters.

The first said £80, but would match £65 if I picked a colour he had in stock. He said it'd cost him £35 just in gas in the oven. Reckoned anyone doing it for £35 must have chucked the bike in with something else, and done it on the side.


If these guys are representative for the south (both Portsmouth based) I'm struggling to see how anyone's getting it done for £35.00. What am I missing?

Don't think you're missing anything. My local place does frames for £20.00. Its cash in hand and limited colours. You have to wait until they're doing other stuff in the colour you want, but in a decent place this shouldn't be too long, especially if you want black, white red etc.

One of the junior staff does the shot blasting in between main jobs. The £20.00 probably goes in the tea money.